Battle of Flodden

The Battle of Flodden (9 September 1513) was a major battle of the Anglo-Scots Wars and the War of the League of Cambrai. The battle saw King James IV of Scotland's invading Scottish army be utterly routed and destroyed by an English army nominally under the command of regent Catherine of Aragon, and King James and several of his nobles, clergymen, lords of Parliament, and clan chieftains were killed in the battle. 17,000 of the 30,000 Scots sent to invade England were killed in the catastrophic defeat.

History
King James IV of Scotland, honoring the Auld Alliance with France, declared war on England during the War of the League of Cambrai. King James was excommunicated for breaking a peace treaty with King Henry VIII of England, but he nevertheless sent sailors to join the French Navy and raised an army. He planned to invade England while King Henry was assisting Emperor Maximilian I of Germany in the capture of Therouanne in northern France, and he invaded England with an army of over 30,000 troops. Queen Catherine of Aragon responded by raising an army against the Scots, and this army reached a strength of 26,000 troops.

On 9 September 1513, Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, met the invading Scots with an English force at Flodden Field in Northumberland. James IV unwisely moved his army down from the high ground to battle the English on marshy ground, and Scottish inexperience led to their troops collapsing. In addition, rather than adhere to the Renaissance style of having generals remain in the rear, the Scots followed the Medieval style of having the generals lead from the front, and King James and four of his earls were killed in the thick of the fighting. The battle was a catastrophe for Scotland; in just a few hours, up to 17,000 Scots were killed, including the flower of the nation's nobility, and their King. Thomas Howard was rewarded by being made Duke of Norfolk, and the Scots were forced to sue for peace.